


Holiday Rescue

by FoxyDangerfluff (Argent_Vulpine)



Series: Never Let You Go [2]
Category: Changeling (Visual Novel)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Courtney is a Terror, Drabble, F/M, Holidays, Marc to the Rescue, Mistletoe, Post-Game, gingerbread cookies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 10:23:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16679827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Argent_Vulpine/pseuds/FoxyDangerfluff
Summary: Nora is... a little tired of being around so much family, so she texts Marc. Who decides to come to her rescue. Of course.





	Holiday Rescue

It wasn’t that Nora disliked the holidays. Quite the contrary, in fact. She enjoyed them, enjoyed spending time with her family, decorating the tree, making sugar cookies and gingerbread people. This year, she’d even decorated some of them to look like members of the club, taking pictures of them that she sent to Ally, who’d oohed and ahhed over the details before joking about biting off heads.

Still, she was very tired of being around so many distant relatives, loud and chattering and just generally being obnoxious - especially now. At some point earlier in the evening, her dad had spiked the eggnog, and now things were just getting a little too crazy for her. Which was why she’d snuck off to her room, settling on her bed with her phone in hand to text Marc.

_ Save me, _ was the first text, quickly followed with,  _ Dad spiked the eggnog. _ Nora leaned back against her pillows to wait.

Her phone chimed again, with the simple message,  _ I am on my way _ .

Well… she couldn’t exactly say she was surprised. She hadn’t exactly meant it literally - and she was certain he knew that - but if he was going to come over, then she wasn’t going to complain, either. Maybe she could even wiggle out of the family party for a while.

Nora stood and stretched before ducking into the bathroom she shared with Spencer, checking on her appearance, making herself a little more presentable before Marc arrived. It didn’t take up too much time, so she grabbed her phone and wandered back downstairs, snatching up a cookie as she passed by the platter of them.

She was nibbling on one of the gingerbread man’s arms when she heard the knock at the door. “I’ll get it!” she called, though she wasn’t certain anyone else had even heard it.

The door swung open to reveal Marc, whose gaze narrowed in on the cookie that has halfway to her mouth. “I am not certain how I feel about that,” he remarked, stepping inside and out of the cold.

Nora shut the door behind him and only then looked down at the cookie she’d been nibbling, flushing when she realized she’d grabbed cookie-Marc. “Better this one than any of the other club members?” She tried for a teasing voice, but mostly it just came out as… a little embarrassed.

He raised an eyebrow at her, his frown deepening. “You… decorated cookies to look like the others?”

At that, she dug into her pocket for her phone, bringing up the photo she’d sent to Ally earlier in the evening. He eyed it critically, before huffing out a small sigh. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. They are well-decorated, I will grant.”

“Oh, thank you so much for that. I never would have known otherwise,” she retorted, making a face at him. She’d devoured the rest of the cookie-Marc while he’d been inspecting the picture, and was wiping crumbs from… well, everywhere… when she caught sight of someone stepping out of the living room.

“Nora, honey, was that the- Oh! Hello, Marc! I didn’t know you were coming over tonight.” Courtney glanced between her daughter and Marc, smirking as she glanced above their heads.

The pair looked up at the same moment, and Nora groaned softly. Mistletoe. Of course there was mistletoe in the foyer. Why  _ wouldn’t _ there be?

Courtney was waiting expectantly, beaming - flushed and obviously a little tipsy - at the two of them. “You know the rules, Nora,” she said, a little  _ too _ eager.

Nora’s cheeks flamed red, but she dutifully stood on tiptoe, grasping Marc’s collar to bring him down more to her level, and then pressed a quick kiss to his lips before backing away. “Okay, rules followed, we’re going now, bye Mom!” she said, flustered, not even waiting to ask for permission before grabbing her coat and wrenching the door open.

Marc followed behind, bemused, as she practically ran to his car. “What… exactly was that about?”

“It was… Mom being Mom. I can’t  _ believe _ she hung mistletoe up! No… I  _ can _ believe it, I’m just… ugh!”

She didn’t know if he was aware of the tradition or not, though she suspected he at least had some inkling; still, he was silent as he started the car, waiting for her to settle into her seat. Nora shifted awkwardly, unsure what to say - or do - and was startled when he leaned over, his fingers threading through her hair as he pulled her in for a much more thorough kiss than she’d given in the foyer.

All thought fled from her mind in that moment. She relaxed and leaned in, a happy sound welling up in her throat. He released her soon after, an impossibly soft smile curving his lips. “Are you ready to go?” he asked, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“Um… yes. Definitely yes,” she replied, still flushed. 

He needed no further prompting, instead carefully maneuvering the car onto the street, easing around the motley assortment of vehicles. Nora’s phone chimed, and she checked it quickly; a message from her mother, asking when she would be home. She shot back a quick response, guessing at ‘later tonight’, and then sank into the comfortable silence of just… being around Marc.

It was a very welcome reprieve from the din and clamor at the house. It was possible, of course, that Marc’s family would be doing something, as well - a thought which hadn’t occurred to her until now - but at least she’d be with him? And there were probably more places to hide and gain solace from any noise.

“The big party was a few days ago. Tonight it’s just family,” he commented, startling her out of her own head. “It should not be as… noisy… as it was around your family.”

‘Noisy’ was a bit of an understatement, she felt. She loved her family, loved the holidays, and everything that entailed, but… sometimes it was just nice to get away. Especially when she’d been dealing with extended family for  _ days _ at this point.

When they arrived at his home, the two of them made sure to stop and say hello to Gaspare and Esther - Marc’s parents - before Marc led her up to his study. There was already a fire warming the hearth, and a tray with a steaming pot and two mugs waiting on the desk. There was no tea in sight, though; instead, it looked like cocoa was the drink of the evening. Well, she was fine with that.

Marc took care of making the drinks while she chose a seat, careful not to get her shoes on the sofa. He joined her soon after, setting their drinks down as he settled into the seat beside her. Before she could do anything else, he was tugging her against him, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. “I’m not so sure you really needed saving,” he commented, dryly teasing. 

She scoffed at that, tilting her head up to look at him. “Well, I’m glad to know you were willing to come to my rescue, warranted or not.”

“You…” he began, then sighed, smiling softly. “You are such a pain.”

Nora smirked up at him. “You don’t seem to mind too much,” she quipped, wriggling away from him long enough to grab her mug of cocoa. She wasn’t gone long, though, and was nestling against his side - much more comfortably - within moments.

He shook his head slightly, amused, though he refused to show it. Instead, he picked up the book he’d been reading before she’d texted, holding it up where she could also see it, and he began to read, his voice soft and low.

They stayed just like that until her mother called to tell her to come home.


End file.
